Pappardelle Bolognese

Wide pasta ribbons coated with rich Ragu Alla Bolognese is what Pappardelle Bolognese are all about. Even if you make it with quality store bought pappardelle you’ll fall in love from the first bite. Because of wide pasta shape, rich decadent flavor and bright colors this is a perfect meal for the holiday dinner. Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving or with no particular occasion this pasta will make your dinner truly special. As mentioned in Traditional Ragu Alla Bolognese recipe, you can regulate the amount of tomato sauce go from very small quantity (traditional version) to adding more if you want more tomato flavor and creaminess in the sauce. Pappardelle with Bolognese sauce are a tasty Emilian first course, a great classic of home cooking loved by everyone!

You don't need many words to describe Bolognese sauce. The best sauce there is! Famous and imitated all over the world, based on first choice minced meat, it is perhaps the most loved and replicated recipe by all. Protagonist of Sunday lunches and constant presence on the festive tables, loved by young and old, the Bolognese sauce is a true cornerstone of Italian cuisine. Known all over the world and it is easy to find multiple versions even if they are often imaginative interpretations that have little in common with the original recipe.

This is my version, you just have to try it. Contrary to the traditional recipe that does not involve the use of aromatic herbs, in the sauce that I prepare for my family lunches I add bay leaves, but if you want to discover all the tricks and secrets read the useful tips below.

Ingredients

1 pound Pappardelle pasta

1/2 pound Ground beef

1/2 pound Ground pork

6 ounces Tomato paste

1 Small onion, finely chopped

1 Carrot, finely chopped

1 Stalk celery, finely chopped

3 Bay leaves

pinch of nutmeg

1 tablespoon milk

4 tablespoons EV olive oil

salt, as desired

Method

To prepare PAPPARDELLE AL RAGU 'ALLA BOLOGNESE follow the recipe step by step.

Start by preparing the sauté: finely chop carrot, celery and onion, reduce everything to small small pieces, I first put everything in a blender and in a few seconds I have the base ready. In a large pot add the oil and the mixed sauté and cook for about 5-10 minutes until everything is well wilted. Add the ground and mix with a wooden spoon so as to crumble it well. Cook until the meat sauces have dried, only then deglaze with the wine and let evaporate over high heat. Add the bay leaves and wait for the wine to evaporate. When the mixture in the pot is dry again, add the tomato and concentrate, fill the dirty bottle with water, shake it and add half to the tomato. Add a pinch of salt, stir and let it come to the boil, reached this move on sweet heat and cook very slowly, add the basil and bay leaf and cook over low heat, stirring very frequently, the cooking time is about three hours. The secret of Bolognese sauce is precisely this: the sauce must be cooked for a long time at low temperature, so that the meat can release all its flavors. You will find that the sauce is ready when it is darkened and blended to perfection. Attention! The tomato sauce practically must no longer be seen: the Bolognese sauce in fact must not be juicy and liquid, but thick and fleshy. It is impossible to give a precise cooking time: this in fact varies according to the meat used, the density of the tomato puree, the kitchen, the temperature of the environment. What is certain is that at least three hours must pass and that the longer the cooking time the more the sauce will be good!

Meanwhile, prepare the pasta with the shape you prefer. I usually prepare very large pappardelle, really perfect for this dish. At the end of cooking the sauce add the milk and mix, this will serve to dampen the flavor of the tomato, continue cooking until the final result is a full-bodied and creamy sauce. Your pappardelle with Bolognese sauce is ready to be served.

Enjoy your meal!

EXPERT TIP: For an even deeper flavor profile, we start off by sautéing 4 oz. of cubed pancetta in a large saucepan or Dutch oven with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once the pancetta is nice and crispy and rendered a little fat, toss in the veggies and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Next, add the ground beef, veal, and pork. Cook until no longer pink. We recommend using a large spoon to remove much of the rendered fat at this point. Don’t drain the mixture, because you want to leave some of the fat for added flavor.